Adventure Magazine Cover, April 1916 — page 132: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

130 Loudon in his statements regarding possi- ble affection for Miss Dorothy Burr meant exactly what he said. On the corral fence Loudon sat with Tele- scope Laguerre and related his adventures. The half - breed harkened sympathetically. Occasionally he removed the cigarette from his lips in order to swear. “And,” said Loudon in conclusion, “I’m goin’ south after the little hoss in two or three weeks.” “"Vep.” s ~. “TI queet too. I go wit’ you.” “What for? No need o’ you losin’ yore job too.”’ de job! I been here long tam—two, t’ree year. I wan’ for move along un see w’at happen een de worl’. Een you’ bees- ness, two gun ees better dan only wan. Are you me?” “Oh, I’m you all right enough. I'll be glad to have ye with me, Telescope, but-——” “Den dat ees settle’,” interrupted Tele- scope, his eyes glittering in the glow of his cigarette. ‘‘W’en you go, I go, un togedder we weel geet de leetle hoss. Ah, my frien’, eet ees de luck I have you to go wit’. I been knowin’ for week now I mus’ go soon.” ‘‘Gettin’ restless?” Telescope nodded, his eyes fixed on the far-away line of saw-toothed mountains black against the stars. When he spoke, his voice had altered. ‘Tom, de ole tam have come back to me, un w’en de ole tam do dat I can not stay. I mus’—My frien’, have you evair love a woman?” “Once I did.” ‘Den you weel un’erstan’. Wan tam, fif- teen year ago, Ihave woman. I have odder woman now un den—five, six mabbe, but dey was Enjun un breed. Dees woman she was not Enjun. She was Frangaise, un we was marry un leeve over on de Sweetwatair Riviére near de Medicine Mountain. “Well, we was happy, she un me, un I was hunt de buffalo for Ole Man Rantoul. Rantoul she have de post dere on de Sweet- watair. Dere was odder men keel de buf- falo for Rantoul, un wan of dese men she see my wife Marie w’en she go wit’ me to de post. Dees man she yong man name’ Taylor—Pony George dey call heem,’cause she was all tam bust de pony. “Well, wan tam I go ’way two—t’ree Adventure week, mabbe. I come home een de after- noon. No leetle dog she play ’roun’ de log- house. No smoke from de chimney. No Marie she stan’ at de door. “TI go queeck to de house. Leetle dog lie dead in front de door. Door shut. I go een. I fin’ Marie—I fin’ Marie!” A wild, fierce note crept into the low monotone. “I fin’ my Marie on de floor. She varree weak, but she can talk leetle. She tell me w’at happen. Two day before I geet back Pony George come to de log-house. Pony George she try for to mak’ de love to my wife. Marie she go for rifle. Pony George geet de rifle firs’. Dog try for bite heem. Pony George keeck de dog out un shoot heem. ““My wife she grab de knife. She fight. But Pony George strong man. Get cut leetle, but not bad. He—he—well, I can do nothin’ for my wife. Nex’ day she die. “I ride to de post o’ Ole Man Rantoul. Pony George not dere. Rantoul say Pony George go ’way t’ree day before—not come back. I go after Pony George. I not fin’ heem. I go sout’ to de Nation. I go to Dakota. I go all de way from Canaday to de Rio Grande. Five year I heet de trail, but I never fin’ Pony George. ‘“‘Now I work on de ranch, but always I can not stay. W’en de ole tam come back I mus’ go. Well, my frien’, some day I fin’ Pony George, un w’en dat day come I weel hang hees hair on my bridle. Ah, I weel keel dat man—keel heem slow, so she weel have plenty tam for see hees deat’ be- fore she die.”’ Abruptly Telescope Laguerre slipped down to the ground and vanished in the darkness. CHAPTER AIII THE DANCE ~ WEEK later, while the outfit was eat- ing supper, Swing Tunstall burst yell- ing into the bunk-house. He flung his hat on the floor and thudded into his seat. ‘“‘Dance!”’ he whooped, hammering on the table with his knife and fork. “Dance! Big dance! Down at the Bend. Next week. Saturday night. They’re a-goin’ to have it in the hotel. Hooray!’’ “Pass him the beans, quick!’’ shouted Doubleday. ‘Get him to eatin’ before the roof pulls loose. When d’je say it was, Swing?” CoOMmichoooks (CO